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Cubs Trade For Garza Finalized

The Chicago Cubs acquired right-handed pitcher Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday in an eight-player trade.

The 27-year-old Garza pitched a no-hitter against Detroit last season, when he went 15-10 with a 3.91 ERA. He spent his first two major league seasons with the Twins and the last three with the Rays.

Garza joins the Cubs along with outfielder Fernando Perez and left-hander Zachary Rosscup.

The Rays get two of the Cubs’ top prospects, right-hander Chris Archer, a 15-game winner in two minor league stops last season, and 20-year-old shortstop Hak-Ju Lee. Also going from Chicago to Tampa Bay are catcher Robinson Chirinos and outfielders Sam Fuld and Brandon Guyer.

Garza, who was the ALCS MVP in 2008 when he won two games as the Rays advanced to the World Series, joins a rotation that already includes Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster.

Garza is 42-44 with six complete games a 3.97 ERA in 121 major league outings, 118 as a starting pitcher, with the Twins and the Rays.

Perez has spent part of two seasons in the majors with the Rays (2008-09) and is career .234 hitter with good speed and base stealing ability. He spent last season at Triple-A.

The 22-year-old Archer went 15-3 in 28 games between Single-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee last season. He was acquired by the Cubs as part of the Mark DeRosa trade to Cleveland on December 31, 2008.

Lee, who batted .282 at Single-A Peoria last season, originally signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on March 29, 2008. The Cubs already have a young shortstop for their future in Starlin Castro.

Garza, who made $3.35 million last season, is the latest player to leave the Rays. He’ll be reunited with first baseman Carlos Peno, who earlier agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract with the Cubs. Others who departed Tampa Bay include outfielder Carl Crawford, who received a $142 million, seven-year contract from Boston, and reliever Joaquin Benoit, who got a $16.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit.

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Updated January 8, 2010 at 6:00PM

UPDATE: The Chicago Cubs have a tentative trade in place to obtain right-hander Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.

The Rays would receive outfielder Sam Fuld, minor league outfielder Brandon Guyer and several other prospects for Garza, who would be sent to Chicago along with prospects, the two people told The Associated Press on Friday.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade was not yet final. It is subject to physicals for some players and approval of medical records for others, the two people said.

The 27-year-old Garza pitched a no-hitter against Detroit last season, when he went 15-10 with a 3.91 ERA. He spent his first two major league seasons with the Twins and the last three with the Rays.

Garza has a 42-44 career record with a 3.97 ERA. He beat Boston twice in the 2008 AL championship series to help the Rays advance to their first World Series, where they lost to the Phillies.

Garza would give the Cubs a top-of-the-rotation starter and join a rotation that also includes Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster.

He follows several other stars in leaving Tampa Bay, including first baseman Carlos Pena, who agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract with the Cubs. Others who departed the Rays include outfielder Carl Crawford, who received a $142 million, seven-year contract from Boston, and reliever Joaquin Benoit, who got a $16.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

Updated January 7, 2010 at 3:25PM

UPDATE: According to several reports, the Chicago Cubs have traded for Matt Garza. The deal is reported to be finalized pending a physical. The deal was originally reported earlier this week, but the rumors of a potential deal increased today and it appears as if the deal has been finalized.

According to CBSSports.com, there’s a chance that the Cubs will also send Sam Fuld to the Rays, with Fernando Perez joining the Cubs.

Updated on January 7, 2010 at 10:32AM

According to Bruce Miles, of the Daily Herald, the Cubs are close to a deal that would bring pitcher Matt Garza to the Cubs in exchange for prospects.

Miles reports that the deal would send prospects Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer and Robinson Chirinos to Tampa for what the Cubs consider a No.1 or No. 2 pitcher.

The deal could also potentially involve additional parts from either team.

Garza has a career line of 42-44 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. While those numbers might not jump off the page, keep in mind that Garza spent the last three seasons playing for the Tampa Bay Rays, in the competitive AL East.